oh yes. Nadal is just 120 points behind Novak. Last year Novak was the Finalist and has retained 1200 points.Quote:
Originally Posted by leosimha
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oh yes. Nadal is just 120 points behind Novak. Last year Novak was the Finalist and has retained 1200 points.Quote:
Originally Posted by leosimha
To be very frank, in my opinion, I don't think Serena doesn't deserve to be the greatest just because she is winning slams and might equal or break Steffi Graf's 22 Grand Slams because Serena never didn't have a very fitting rival or competition.Quote:
Originally Posted by venkkiram
Whereas Steffi Graf won 22 Grand Slams she won it over her very competitive rivals.
Congrats Rafa on a well deserved 2013 US Open crown..
Terrific come back.. Hope you go on to win the missing WTF this year. Anything is possible for you.
Why Raha grips the cup with the teeth? Is it a style he continues to do? My son could not stop his laughing while watching that.
In yesterday's match against Djoko, one strategy which Nadal planned, executed and won was that slicing deep into Djoko's back hand side and waiting for the cross court back end and responding heavily with the baseline forehand.
S&V becomes S&F for Nadal and he maintains the same V shape like other legends acheive from S&V and how many times he shown consistency in that. Its a treat to watch that again and again. Foot work.
it is his trademark style since the first cup he won. yes, he will continue to do so if he wins grand slams.Quote:
Originally Posted by venkkiram
on the other side, it could be taken as that it is a reality for him that he indeed has won the cup. :) (just like how we pinch ourself to see if it is a reality or not)
:clap: there is a article which talks about Nadal's brains and brawns :) It also says that he is best player in adapting to various strategies.Quote:
Originally Posted by venkkiram
Usual victory celebration. That's what he has been doing after every win.
Quote:
Originally Posted by venkkiram
I also remember reading somewhere that biting the trophy is an old Manacor tradition; the true sign of a champion and hero.Quote:
Originally Posted by leosimha
Murray seals ATP Tour finals spot, Federer struggling
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/s...w/22459778.cms
Well the picture could have been even more different had Monica Seles not been stabbed by a deranged Graf fanatic. Serena did face stiff competition from around 2005 to 2007 when Henin, Clistjers, Mauresmo, Sharapova were all in full flow. But that also coincides with a lean patch for her. :mrgreen: As with the Seles 'if', this will also be an if with the rider that a player can only play the competition she faces. At the end of the day, it's not Serena's fault if nobody over the last so many years has learnt to even serve like her.Quote:
Originally Posted by leosimha
yes...very true...the rivalry between Steffi and Monica is an unfinished one. But I would like to call Serena a Erumai Maadu (no racial discrimination or pun intended). :razz:Quote:
Originally Posted by crimson king
Yes its a racial discrimination.Quote:
Originally Posted by leosimha
What I meant was Erumai Maadu veyil-a evalu neram aannallum nikkum tired aagaathu...athey maathiri idhu-vum tired aagaathu field-la erangita... evalu neram vilayaadinaallum :lol2:Quote:
Originally Posted by venkkiram
Link - http://straightsets.blogs.nytimes.co...ic-match/?_r=0Quote:
September 10, 2013, 2:52 pm
The Turning Point of the Nadal-Djokovic Match
By GEOFF MACDONALD
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/...ts-blog480.jpgStan Honda/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Rafael Nadal knew his third set victory was pivotal in beating Novak Djokovic in the United States Open final.
Rafael Nadal came back from the precipice in the ninth game of the pivotal third set, saving three straight break points to wrest control from Novak Djokovic and turn the match in his favor. It was a stunning reversal of fortune for Djokovic, who was a point away from serving for a two-sets-to-one lead with the wind at his back.
Instead, Nadal’s tenacity and will prevailed, and when he broke Djokovic to clinch the third set, he also broke the Serb’s fighting spirit. Nadal ran out the fourth set, 6-1, as a beaten Djokovic put up only nominal resistance.
What happened? How did Nadal win the third set when Djokovic appeared to be in control?
I thought Djokovic missed a big opportunity to break serve early in the set, when Nadal served at 0-2 (having himself played a rare, dispirited game to be broken to open the third set) and again at 1-3. Even though Djokovic’s level of play was rising, he let Nadal hang around and stay close.
After elevating his game to win the second set and secure an early break in the third, Djokovic was unable to go for the jugular and break Nadal again. He played a few loose points, which gave Nadal hope at a point in the match where Djokovic’s best tennis was dominating Nadal. It’s a seductive feeling to win such incredible points in a Grand Slam final. But those missed service returns count, too, although the remarkable winner seems more important.
Still, at 4-4, Djokovic played three astonishing points, including one in which he stretched wide and ripped a deep, neutralizing forehand up the middle that tripped up a surprised Nadal, who toppled to the court as his feet got tangled together. Remarkably, even as he fell backward to the court, Nadal’s eyes remained on the ball. But he lost the point, and after another dominating point by Djokovic, in which the Serb timed a backhand return perfectly, Nadal faced three break points.
In hindsight, the match was won in the ensuing five points. Nadal went on the offensive, hitting out on his groundstrokes, moving up in the court to control court positioning and take the ball early. He also served with remarkable precision, including an ace up the T at 30-40 that surprised Djokovic, who was expecting the wide slice, Nadal’s favorite serve. It was a bold decision to go up the middle, but it worked beautifully. When he finally got an ad on his serve, Nadal attacked the net, pounding an overhead into the stands as an exclamation point to his improbable third-set comeback. When he broke a stunned Djokovic to win the third set, Nadal bellowed, “Vamos!” as a dejected Djokovic walked slowly to his chair.
Link - http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/188679...th-us-open-winQuote:
King of Clay, now Comeback King - Rafael Nadal extends his reign to hard courts with US Open win
Tuesday, Sep 10, 2013, 10:05 IST | Agency: DNA Web Team
The French Open champion added the US Open to claim his second Grand Slam title of the year.
http://static.dnaindia.com/images/cache/1886820.jpgRafael Nadal with the US Open trophy - AFP
It was a blockbuster US Open final that the fans were expecting as Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal clashed. The top two players in men's tennis did not disappoint as they had a titanic battle.
The match was not the five-set epic that they played in recent years but was a 6-2 3-6 6-4 6-1 encounter that saw a vicious 54 shot rally played by the players.
Rafael Nadal won the title at Flushing Meadows to take his hard court record this year to 22 out of 22, a personal best and the best mark among ATP World Tour players.
Another record that the Spaniard holds now is Nadal, despite his knee troubles, he is the only player to win a Grand Slam title nine years in a row.
Novak Djokovic's World No1 ranking also is not safe as the 27-year-old US and French Open champion who missed out the latter half of 2012 has no points to defend and could finish the year as top seed.
The match on Monday night saw, Nadal hold his nerve and play big as Djokovic kept fluctuating from poor to awesome to spectacular. The World No2 kept his level of play constant and was able to brave the Serb's second and early third set purple streak of play with his own awesome shots.
Watched by Hollywood celebs, the Queen of Spain, tennis legends and other sports stars Nadal and Djokovic gave the crowd what they had come to see a super, high intensity match.
With a total of 13 grand slam wins, Nadal moves ahead of Australian Roy Emerson into third on the all-time list behind Roger Federer (17) and Pete Sampras (14).
After the doubts last year and post his loss at Wimbledon a few months ago many critics had called for Nadal to retire but the tennis ace proved he is not just the King of Clay but also comebacks and now hard court as his win record proves.
As the 2014, Australian Open looms large, Rafa as he is lovingly called by fans will look to win his second title there becoming the first man since Rod Laver to win all Grand Slams twice.
Will he, won't he? If his knees don't give way and he plays the way he did in the US Open and the run up tournaments, there could be no stopping Rafael Nadal who is playing perhaps the best tennis of his career.
Link - http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/ten...us-open-final/Quote:
U.S. Open victory the pinnacle of Nadal's unbelievable comeback year
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/dam/asse...-image-cut.jpg
Rafael Nadal collapsed to the court after beating Novak Djokovic to win his second U.S. Open title.
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
NEW YORK -- Rafa fell. This was at his shakiest moment Monday night, before another epic comeback would make it just a funny memory, before the tears and his admission that the year had been "the most emotional one in my career," before the queen of Spain sighed, "Bueno" at the sight of him and kissed both his cheeks. But you couldn't envision any of that, not then. Rafael Nadal fell, and suddenly all of it -- the knee, the career, the man -- seemed very fragile. It felt like disaster at hand.
This was late in the third set of the U.S. Open final, things knotted at a set apiece, 4-4, but tilting Novak Djokovic's way, fast. The world No. 1 had been gradually peeling back the layers on Nadal's game, denting him with haymaker groundstrokes and crafty pace, and now with Nadal serving all momentum had shifted the Serb's way. A classic drop-and-lob combo made it 0-15 and then, just as another marathon rally began to take shape, Djokovic's tricky forehand sent him backpedaling behind the baseline.
And then came a sight that you could spend years on the pro tour and never see. Nadal's footwork is legendary, a key to his remarkable career, yet now his right foot snagged on the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium and he went down slow and fast, body parts flailing, bit by awkward bit. He looked like a man shoved hard onto a patch of ice.
"I never," Nadal said later, "thought I would fall down like this."
Still, there were two unusual things about his reaction: Instead of cushioning his fall, Nadal kept his eye on the ball and kept trying to swing. Over in Djokovic's box, his new coaching consultant, Wojtek Fibak, couldn't believe it.
"I was admiring him," said Fibak, the one-time mentor of Ivan Lendl. "Because he was falling in six or seven stages, and each stage he tried to hit the ball. He tried then ... and tried then ... and tried then ... and he still tried."
It's true. "Because until the last moment," Nadal said, "I thought that I will hit the ball."
And then he sprang back up and pointed for a towel, betraying not even a hint of embarrassment. If you're looking for a reason why Nadal, not Djokovic, is this year's U.S. Open champion, and the man who in essence if not yet fact is now considered No. 1, that will serve just fine. No matter the surface, the score or the state of his aching knees, the 27-year old Majorcan always thinks that he can hit the ball. His 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Djokovic on Monday, in the 37th edition of their now-record rivalry, was only the latest, most dramatic proof that almost nothing can keep Nadal from making his appointed rounds, especially the seven required to win a Grand Slam title.
Because even when the hole got even deeper, he kept hitting out. Djokovic still had Nadal on his heels then; another awkward point later, and he was facing 0-40 and the prospect that Djokovic would soon be serving for a 2-1 lead. And that's when Nadal reversed things, fast. A forehand winner here, a 125-mph ace there, an overhead smash to finish things off, and suddenly the 25,000 whipsawed fans at Ashe were all with him and Djokovic was looking dazed and there was Nadal throwing a fist at his box, holding onto a 5-4 lead. Djokovic responded by going up 30-0? Nadal put him back on his heels, ran down every ball to win the next three rallies -- and pulled off the crime of the tournament.
"How in the world did he win that set?" John McEnroe said on CBS. "That's stealing."
Worse. It was competitive murder.
"That's where I think Djoko lost his heart," Fibak said. "He lost his belief that he can beat Rafael on the day like this, in New York. Rafael just believes. His courage to produce the biggest shots, the most risky shots, like his forehand down the line? How many great cross-courts did Djokovic hit and then he has practically no time? How many times? Novak was in disbelief. He saw and couldn't believe: One, two, three, four, five, six, 10 times, the biggest points."
It's even more mind-boggling when you know that, during last year's Open, Nadal wasn't playing at all. Tennis has never seen a comeback like his: After missing seven months with a partially torn patella tendon in his left knee, Nadal returned in February rested and ready for a grind that, by summer's end, has traditionally left him spent or broken. His career winning percentage drops significantly -- 87 to 77 percent -- in matches played after the French-Wimbledon campaign; yet this year, to go along with his usual clay dominance, he won Indian Wells, Montreal and Cincinnati and carried a 21-0 record on hard courts into Monday's showdown.
"That's insane," seven-time Grand Slam winner Mats Wilander said. "It's unbelievable. But the important thing to understand with Rafa is that he's going to play himself into the ground -- again. And then he's going to come back and play himself into the ground again. He's always going to come back, and people are going to say the same thing every time."
That such toughness and resiliency off-court should dovetail with his playing style makes sense, of course, but it doesn't answer the mystery at the heart of Nadal's career. With 13 major titles, he now trails only Roger Federer and Pete Sampras on the all-time list; yet nothing in his background seems to answer for his relentless nature. He was raised in comfort and calm on an island in the Mediterranean, surrounded by loving family. Even the "intense" practice sessions meted out early by his coach and uncle, Toni, don't seem enough to create someone who, as Jimmy Connors famously put it, "plays like he's broke."
But, then, maybe his is too dark a read. It takes a special magic to play so bullying a style without being an actual bully, without leaving opponents unmanned, but Nadal has walked that line with admirable consistency. His on-court glower is a bit of a mask. He has few enemies.
"I'm in awe," Boris Becker said Monday. "I can't believe the attitude he brings to the court. He loves to be out there for three, four hours a day. He loves to be in difficult situations. He loves to be down and out. It comes from love. Amazing."
When Djokovic broke his serve for the first time -- with that astonishing, 54-stroke rally -- in Monday's second set, conventional wisdom had it that Nadal would be gutted. Instead, he weighed the fact that the wind would be at his back and that Nole would be winded, too. "It's my moment to be strong and I'm going to have the chance to break back. That's what I think in that moment," Nadal said. And then he broke Djokovic right back.
"I don't think anybody's played the game with the same kind of positive energy and emotion," Wilander said. "No one. Not even Lleyton Hewitt and not Jimmy Connors. Even though they are the great fighters, apart from Nadal, they're not as positive as Nadal. He is always positive. He's just a new breed. We've never seen anything like him."
Nadal's astonishing run this summer even prompted a vague hope that there might be some bracing, transitive effect on the man he'll be paired with forever, but the gap between Rafa and the 32-year-old, sixth-ranked Roger Federer has never seemed wider. All of Flushing Meadows seemed to sag early with Fed's straight-set collapse against Tommy Robredo; the deep want -- perhaps, even, the need -- for just one more Nadal-Federer showdown, in this year's quarterfinals, felt like a realization that the most important men's rivalry in history was, indeed, about to be history. And why not? Taken together, Nadal and Federer may well have been the best advertisement the actual game of tennis has ever had.
The hangover figures to last a while, most evident when Djokovic and Andy Murray engage in matches that produce set after set of long, counterpunching rallies. Contrast of styles is the holy grail of tennis fans -- hence the chorus of "ooohs" every time Stan Wawrinka or Richard Gasquet uncorks a one-handed backhand -- but even at the top the cupboard isn't all that bare. Nadal-Djokovic is now the longest rivalry -- 22-15, Rafa -- in the history of Open tennis. And after this year's meetings in Paris and New York, you don't hear any complaints.
"As long as Rafa's in there, I think the rivalries are very interesting," Wilander said. "As long as Rafa's in there, there's a contrast in style. It doesn't matter how you play, because no one plays like him. No one acts like him. No one fights like him; he's lefty, he spins it -- so anybody against Nadal is a good rivalry."
Still, Monday night was as much about Nadal's battle with his health and his own body, as it was about any opponent. During the first days of his rehabilitation, he never doubted that he would be able to play pro tennis again. He did doubt whether he'd ever contend again for major titles. "Win two Grand Slams in [2013] is something that I never thought," Nadal said, and yet this year he has gone a career-best 60-3, won at Roland Garros and now in New York. When Djokovic's last ball flew into the net, it all finally hit him.
"Win against Novak again, win a final of the U.S. Open, have a chance to win three tournaments in a row now on hard [courts], it's normal that I was crying," Nadal said. "I came from another situation, a tough one. So all the things what's happening to me is a surprise, and it's the result of tough work, low moments. That makes the victory more emotional."
So when it was over, Rafa fell again. Twice. The first was the usual championship drop, but he instantly sprang back up to shake hands at net. Then, after dropping his racket, Nadal turned toward his box -- all the faces that have long kept him going -- and took a step on court. His legs gave. He collapsed flat onto his stomach, and lay under the lights and eyes of thousands, face covered, back trembling. Five, 10 seconds passed.
Then Nadal did what he always does, bad moment or good. He gathered himself, and got back on his feet. The winner's check was waiting. The queen, too.
Thanks for sharing this article. The reading experience is like watching a classic movie. The way the author ended this article melted me with tears in eyes.
:notworthy:
Nadal's footwork is legendary, a key to his remarkable career - 100% true.
Saluting a triumphant trio
The Hindu - Editorial; September 12, 2013
"Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams didn’t need to win the U.S. Open, which concluded on Monday in New York, to join tennis’s pantheon; they have been a prominent part of it for some time now. Nadal had progressed from being a wrinkle in the argument that Roger Federer was the greatest male player of all time to being a contender for the honour himself. Serena, after her first-round defeat at Roland Garros last year, had dominated the women’s tour, winning three of five Grand Slam titles, an Olympic singles gold and causing former players of the stature of John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, and Chris Evert to suggest that there hadn’t been a better female player."
"Another remarkable instance of mind over matter was to be found in the continuing success story of Leander Paes (40). Partnering Radek Stepanek, Paes won an eighth Grand Slam men’s doubles title to add to six mixed-doubles crowns. Doubles might not have the competitive depth singles has, but this doesn’t detract from Paes’s achievement. The oldest man to win a Grand Slam in the Open Era deserves his place among the finest doubles practitioners of all time."
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/edit...ref=sliderNews
^^^ Bizarre logic in that article, because for instance in Wimb 2012, Fed also beat Djokovic in the semi final. He had to play two of the top four players back to back and won. And in AO 2007, Gonzalez had beaten Nadal to reach the final, where he lost to Fed. So does that mean Nadal wasn't even as good as Gonzalez at that time? Of course I am not actually saying so at all but that would be the inference if we followed this table to its logical conclusion. Nadal was very much in the draw in those 'early' years too and from 2006 he was no.2 behind Federer until he took over after Wimbledon 2008. It's not so much Fed having it easy as Nadal taking a couple or more years to finally reach the level where he could be better than Federer in a few of the years if not all the time.
wow... brilliant article that one!!
How come Nadal's bunny Roger can be considered as his toughest opponent ?
Its a vicious cycle. Anyway it is because,Quote:
Originally Posted by VinodKumar's
http://i44.tinypic.com/260cs1w.jpg
I wish the guy can get a spring in his step and notch up another grand slam. A fallen champion fighting all odds for one last piece of glory. It would be great to see him do that.
I still bel18ve.....Quote:
Originally Posted by Arvind Srinivasan
"But just as he had the last word at this year’s Open, Nadal may yet have the last word in the GOAT [Greatest Of All Time] debate. If he can stay healthy (a big if: he has struggled with injuries for much of his career), he is certainly capable of equaling or even surpassing Federer’s record. Were that to happen, the combination of major titles plus the winning record against Federer would make it tough even for the most stalwart Federer partisans to deny Nadal the GOAT [Greatest Of All Time] label. Beauty matters in tennis, but ultimately, numbers matter more." - Michael Steinberger in the New York Times; September 12, 2013.Quote:
Originally Posted by omega
http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/20...all-time/?_r=0
:bow: Roger Federer is simply the best considering his 6 ATP WTF titles when compared to Nadal's where he has not yet won one. Not only these, there is 4 AO, 5 USO, 7 Wimby and 2 Olympic medals, and 302 weeks of #1, this is complete pure sheer domination.Quote:
Originally Posted by omega
I am just wondering if Roger Federer qualifies as the last person for the ATP WTF 2013 at London's O2 and he goes on to win the ATP WTF. Just can't imagine. He will be simply the greatest considering him beating the TOP 6 or 7 people qualified.
Whatever Roger Federer has done is something GREAT...but whatever achievements by Rafael Nadal are something PHENOMENAL.....
Link - http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-0...t-career-.htmlQuote:
Let's Hope Drugs Prolong Rafael Nadal's Great Career
By Jonathan Mahler Sep 9, 2013 11:17 PM GMT+0530
Rafael Nadal is back in the U.S. Open finals tonight, which can mean only one thing: He’s on drugs!
Steroid hysteria may be new to tennis, but it’s been swirling around the Spaniard for years. Many years. There are those bulging biceps. (Or bicep, anyway.) There’s the crazy power, speed and stamina. There’s also the guilt by association: A couple of years ago, in a memorable feat of journalistic irresponsibility, Le Monde published an op-ed by Yannick Noah that basically accused all Spanish athletes -- not just tennis players, but soccer players, basketball players, cyclists -- of doping. (“They are running faster than us, are much more stronger and only leave us the bread crumbs,” wrote Noah. “It's simple, we look like dwarves.”)
Quote:
http://cdn.gotraffic.net/v/20130910_...r_jonathan.jpgAbout Jonathan Mahler»
Jonathan Mahler is a sports columnist for Bloomberg View. He is the author of the best-selling "Ladies and Gentlemen, ... MORE
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Most of all, there’s the too-good-to-be-true story of Nadal’s comeback from injury. After losing in the second round at Wimbledon in 2012 to a competitor ranked 100th in the world, Nadal disappeared from the game to nurse the bum left knee that had been bothering him for years. At the time, it wasn’t clear if Nadal was ever coming back. He returned seven months later, reaching the finals of the first tournament he played, the Chile Open. Then he absolutely caught fire, winning six of the next seven tournaments he entered, before notching his eighth French Open.
Surely, no mere mortal could have accomplished this without pharmaceutical aid. In today’s game, with its grinding rallies and marathon matches? Ha!
For what it’s worth, Nadal has never failed a drug test. Is this evidence of his innocence, or of the inadequacy of tennis’s testing regime?
How about Option Number 3: Who cares? If there’s a synthetic hormone out there that can soothe Nadal’s chronically tender patellar tendon and offset some of the pressure the torque of his violent two-handed backhand puts on his left knee -- well, then, there’s a scientist out there who deserves our thanks and congratulation.
Who wouldn't want to see another 10 years “artificially” added to Nadal’s career? For that matter, is there a safe drug out there that can help slow the aging process for Roger Federer, who just turned 32 but whose days on the court now seem numbered?
Let the golden era of men’s tennis continue!
(Jonathan Mahler is a Bloomberg View columnist. Follow him on Twitter.)
Quote:
I hope the above news is not true, but well, there has always been a talk for the past few years that many of the Spanish players and more importantly Rafael Nadal is involved in doping. If at all there is an iota of truth, then it is a pure shame on Rafael Nadal and Tennis.
Few years ago, there were some talks of matches being fixed too. Don't know how far it is true.
The complete Grand slam era (men single)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...gles_champions
Dont think its true.Quote:
Originally Posted by leosimha
Enna kandravi idhu. This is not a legitimate news, leo. Tennis has one of the strictest anti-doping measures where they hound athletes throughout the year 24/7 at un godly times.
Quote:
Originally Posted by leosimha
These accusations about tennis players are not new or selective. Speculation on players' involvement in match fixing, blood doping and the use of steroids and other PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs) have surface even in earlier years.Quote:
Originally Posted by leosimha
For example, Roger Federer himself was accused of being involved in match fixing as well giving out insider information to his management company boss who was involved in betting on the matches (ref: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/4...7-french-final). Federer was also accused of blood doping and the use of steroids/PEDs. (Ref: http://federerisdoping.blogspot.ca/2...ther-peds.html ). Similarly, Rafa Nadal was accused several times in previous years of the use of steroids.
Federer and Nadal have so far passed all random blood, urine and other tests before and after their matches. The investigations did not find any evidence of Federer's involvement in match fixing either. Now they are trying to blame the tests and investigations as being inadequate!
Here is an article that the same Jonathan Mahler wrote in Bloomberg View on June 24, 2013, after Nadal's first round loss at Wimbledon this year. In June, Mahler predicted that Nadal "will probably never match Federer’s total of major tournament wins", "and will almost certainly stop playing sooner [than Federer]". Nadal has now proven both of those predictions wrong. No wonder Mehler had to find an excuse for his own blunder, and cry wolf about Nadal's possible steroid use! What a pity!
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-0...greatness.htmlQuote:
Nadal's Loss Confirms His Awful Greatness
By Jonathan Mahler Jun 24, 2013 5:50 PM ET
What happened to Rafael Nadal? How did he lose -- in straight sets! -- in the first round of Wimbledon to the 135th-ranked Steve Darcis?
Every major upset demands an explanation. But the first thing to keep in mind here is that Nadal didn’t do a whole lot better at the tournament last year, losing in the second round to the 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol. (At least Darcis qualified for Wimbledon last year, which is more than Rosol had done the year before knocking off Nadal.)
After the Rosol match, Nadal was out for seven months, nursing the bum knee that has been bothering him on and off for years. (And which a lot of people in tennis predicted would end his career years ago.) He skipped the U.S. Open and the Australian Open, and had to withdraw from the Olympics after being named to carry the Spanish flag in the opening ceremony.
Then came Nadal's ridiculous return. Even Michael Jordan needed a little time to get his game back after his brief sojourn into baseball. Nadal reached the finals of his first tournament back, then went on a crazy tear, taking six of the next seven tournaments he played before winning his eighth French Open earlier this month. Now, just when it seemed Nadal had reasserted his dominance, he does something he has never done before: lose in the opening round of a major.
In his press conference after the match, Nadal refused to blame his knee, not wanting to take anything away from Darcis. But it’s tough to believe that it wasn’t the knee, or a combination of the knee and the grass, which is -- counter-intuitively -- hard on players with knee problems. Grass may be soft, but it’s a difficult surface on which to change directions, and it tends to keep balls low, requiring more bending. That's especially true on soggy days such as today.
So what does this mean? If nothing else, Nadal has lost an opportunity to close the gap with his long-time rival, Roger Federer. Most tennis fans prefer Federer; his footwork is more effortless, his strokes prettier. It’s hard to argue that history will remember Nadal as the greater player, and this is an especially bad time to make that case. But how do you define greatness? Nadal will probably never match Federer’s total of major tournament wins. (Nadal has 12; Federer 17.) Nadal emerged later, has been less consistent and will almost certainly stop playing sooner. As bad as he was today, it's worth remembering that Nadal is a warrior, a player who converts adversity into intensity. When he's at his best, no one -- including Federer -- is better.
(Jonathan Mahler is a Bloomberg View columnist. Follow him on Twitter.)
http://www.rogerfedererfans.com/foru...1350342128.jpg
Some records are not meant to be broken.
AS, af, rd - Good that the news is bogus and nice to see strict anti-doping measures being taken.
rd - Thanks for that article..seems this guy Jonathan Mahler is a Nadal hater and has slipped his tongue many a time. :)
Nadal and the fine art of surprise
Link - http://www.business-standard.com/art...1301116_1.html
Rafael Nadal evolved, tweaked and modified his game to complete one of the greatest comebacks
US Open victory defied expectations after serious injury threatened the Spaniard's career
Link - http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/t...s-8812274.html